'Battle Of The Bands' To Rock Out 5/17 @ The Zipper

 The New York Musical Theatre Festival's second-annual BROADWAY BATTLE OF THE BANDS competition -- an informal smackdown between bands featuring Broadway and Off-Broadway actors, writers and musicians will be presented on Saturday, May 17 at 10:30pm when three rock 'n roll bands - whose roots are onstage and in the orchestra pits of several Broadway musicals - come together for a one-night-only concert at The Zipper Factory, 336 West 37th Street in Manhattan.  Tickets are $20 by calling 212-352-3101 or log onto www.nymf.org.   Pre-show dinner packages, drink specials and late night fare will be available.
 
The 2008 BROADWAY BATTLE OF THE BANDS - being presented by the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and produced by Amy Birnbaum, will feature the pop/rock/funk/R&B stylings of Anthony Rapp and his band Albinokid (David Matos, Pete Asirisi, Paul Gil and Dan Weiss); Kyle Jarrow (Hostage Song) and his band The Fabulous Entourage (Travis Chamberlain, Libby Winters, Perry Silver, and Jimmy Owens); and Striking Twelve creators GrooveLily (Valerie Vigoda, Brendan Milburn, and Gene Lewin), with special guest appearances by Lauren Pritchard (Spring Awakening) playing original pop songs from her forthcoming album for Sony/BMG Records), Kacie Sheik (sister to Spring Awakening's Duncan Sheik) and Chester Gregory (Cry-Baby).
 
The BROADWAY BATTLE OF THE BANDS - the second Broadway Bandapalooza, if you will - sheds light on the extracurricular talents of Broadway performers and musicians, many of whom perform with bands outside the theatre community or have their own bands with steady gigs and avid followers.   NYMF's Broadway Battle of the Bands is a contest in which the evening's bands will compete for the title of "best band". The winner, determined by audience response, will receive a prize, in addition to "bragging rights."  The winner will be determined by the Audience Applause-o-meter.  In 2007, Tony Award Winner John Gallagher, Jr. and Old Springs Pike won out over The Tom Kitt Band, The Daphne Rubin-Vega Band, The Petersons and TastiSkank.
 
The May 17 concert kicks off the New York Musical Theatre Festival's Next Link Launch Party Weekend (May 17 - 18) -- two days of networking, seminars and work sessions with NYMF staff members and other theatre professionals designed to help participants prepare their shows for the upcoming 5th Annual New York Musical Theatre Festival September 15 through October 5, 2008.